Bobby pin holder and opener



July 15, 1958 L. E. LIMBURG BOBBY PIN HOLDER AND OPENER Filed Feb. 6, 1956- INVENTOR. LILLIAN E. LIMBURG BYM ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,843,135 Patented July 15, 1958 ice 2,843,136 BOBBY PIN HOLDER AND OPENER Lillian E. Limburg, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application February 6, 1956, Serial No. 563,694

2 Claims. (Cl. 132-4) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hair pin holding and opening devices and more particularly to a holding and opening device for spreading and retaining spread apart the legs of a bobby pin or similar hair retaining device.

Hair pins or bobby pins of the type referred to herein are usually each formed out of a unitary piece of resilient material, such as spring steel, which is bent around the. midpoint to provide a pair of separable adjacent legs. One of the legs of the bobby pin is usually fiat and straight while the other, which may be either flat or corrugated, is provided with an outwardly flared end portion. In order to utilize the bobby pin as a hair holding instrument it is necessary that the adjacent legs or prongs be separated so that they may be inserted above and below that portion of the hair which is to be held in place by the hobby pin. In practice, the user has only one hand free to spread the legs of the bobby pin inasmuch as the other is occupied in holding the. Wisp of hair which is to be secured by the bobby pin. Hence, it is necessary that recourse must be had to other means in cooperation with the free hand of the user to separate the legs of the bobby pin and retain them separated until used.

Heretofore people have used their teeth to pry apart the legs of the bobby pins thus subjecting them to possible fracture or other injury. Another practice heretofore used for opening the legs of bobby pins has been to rest one leg of the hobby pin on top of a dressing table top or like surface while applying pressure to the bight of the pin to open the structure. This method of opening the bobby pins is apt to cause unsightly scars in the furniture used and hence is objectionable. Both of these methods open only one bobby pin at a time and each opened bobby pin must be used immediately before another bobby pin can be used.

In accordance with the invention claimed a new and improved device is provided which makes it possible to open and retain open a plurality of hair pins of the bobby pin type before they are used for holding wisps of hair in place. This device comprises a base of a plurality of upwardly disposed sides to form a cavity suitable to receive and store bobby pins. One of the sides defines an inside surface extending obliquely to the inside surface of the base and is provided with a wedge shaped outer edge for receiving and spreading apart the prongs or legs of the bobby pins. Means comprising a roughened surface is arranged on the inside of the obliquely extending side adjacent to its outer wedge shaped edge for engaging with the surfaces of the bobby pin to retain them on or over the wedge shaped edge until ready for use.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a new and improved hair pin holder and opener.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bobby pin holder and opening device on which a plurality of bobby pins may be opened and held opened at one time, ready for use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bobby pin holder which utilizes a means for locking the bobby pin in the leg spread apart position and retaining the bobby pin in this position until needed.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bobby pin holder which holds the bobby pins firmly in a plurality of positions.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bobby pin holder which holds other items such as combs or tooth brushes and which may be detachably connected to a wall surface.

Objects and advantages other than those above set forth will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bobby pin holder and opening device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a left end view partly in cross section of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing the structure attached to a wall surface;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the bobby pin holder and opening device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5- is a perspective view of another modification of the bobby pin holder and opening device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4; and

'Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a modification of the inside surface of the obliquely extending side of the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing by characters of reference, Figs. 1-3 illustrate a hair pin holder and spreading device which may be made out of wood, plastic, metal, or other suitable material and finished in any desirable color or pastel shade and comprises a substantially rectangular shaped body or supporting structure 10. Structure 19 comprises a base 11, spaced parallel upright sides 12 and 13, a rear side member 14 and a front member 15. The inside surface of member 15 extends obliquely to the inside surface of base 11 and together with the base, sides and rear members cooperate. to provide a substantially rectangularly shaped bobby pin storage receptacle 16. Bobby pins may be stored in receptacle 16 in the unopened position and are manually withdrawn as needed. The outside surface of member 15 is undercut adjacent its outer edge thereof to provide a wedge shaped edge 17 for receiving and spreading apart the legs or prongs of bobby pins.

In accordance with the invention claimed, the inside surface of the obliquely extending member 15 is provided with a roughened surface 18 which cooperates with the inside surface of one leg of a bobby pin to hold the bobby pin in its leg spread apart position over the wedge shaped edge 17. By increasing the friction between the surface of the wedge shaped edge 17 of member 15 the legs of the bobby pin may be spread apart a predetermined distance thereby making it possible for a user to grasp the bobby pin and use it without further spreading apart the bobby pin legs. The roughened surface 18 may be moulded into member 15 if the bobby pin device is formed of plastic or other similar material or may be formed in the surface or added to the surface during manufacture, if so desired. By providing a large roughened surface 18 and a wedge shaped edge 17 which extends along one side of device 10 a number of bobby pins may be placed over edge 17 at one time and then used as so desired without the continuous steps of grabbing a bobby pin from the receptacle, forcing it over a wedge shaped edge, and then immediately using it to hold a wisp of hair. With this new and improved device a plurality of bobby pins may be positioned over the edge 17 and used as needed.

By providing a roughened surface 18 on the inside of member the bobby pins may be forced over the wedge shaped edge any distance desired and retained in that given position until used. In this manner an operator who desires the legs of the bobby pins spread apart a small distance or one who spreads apart the legs of the hobby pins a greater distance may use the same holder to achieve their purpose.

The surface 18 may be roughened in many different ways. Surface 18 may be corrugated with ridges and furrows extending along surface 18 substantially parallel with the wedge shaped edge 17. If ridges and furrows are used which extend substantially parallel with the wedge shaped edge 17 the ridges cooperate with the wrinkled or corrugated surface of the leg of the bobby pin forced over wedge shaped edge 17 and onto surface 18 to lock the bobby pin in any one of a plurality of leg spread apart positions.

In order to make the bobby pin holder adaptable for use in many different rooms of a home a plurality of suction cups 19 are fastened to the outside of the base of device 10. In this manner the device may be firmly held on any flat surface by the suction cups. While the device is firmly held on a flat surface by the suction cups a user may easily and readily use only one hand to spread the legs of the bobby pin apart and then place the hobby pin in the hair in the usual manner. Device 10 makes it possible for a user to arrange a plurality of bobby pins over wedge shaped edge 17 before starting to fasten the bobby pins in the hair.

In order to detachably fasten or connect the device to another surface such as a bathroom wall, a dovetail connection 20 is suitably secured to the rear side or back member of device 10. This connection makes it possible to use the device to open bobby pins while it is fastened to the wall, or an operator can detach the device from the wall and carry it to any other desirable location for use. To further add to the convenience of the user a slot 21 is formed in the upper edge of the rear side member 14 to accommodate a comb.

Fig. 2 illustrates the wall engaging element of the dovetail connection 20 fastened to a wall member 22 as well' as a bobby pin 23 shown in dot-dash lines placed over edge 17 in locked position on surface 18. Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the device shown in Figs. l-3 wherein the comb slot 21 is replaced by a plurality of apertures or bores 24 which extend through the width of rear side member 14 to receive and hold in place a plurality of tooth brushes or other similar items (not shown).

Fig. 5 illustrates a further modification of the structures shown in Figs. l-4 wherein a bobby pin holder and opening device 25 comprising a base 26, a pair of spaced parallel upright sides 27 and 28, a rear side member 29 and a front member 30 extending obliquely to the inside surface of base 26 form with the base, sides and rear members a bobby pin storage receptacle 32 in the same manner as the structures shown in Figs. 1-4. The outer edge of member 30 is provided with a wedge shaped edge 33 for spreading apart the legs of a bobby pin in the manner heretofore described. Surface 31 may be roughened,

for example like a sandpaper surface, to firmly grip the legs of the bobby pins in one of a plurality of positions. As noted from the drawing the structure shown in Fig. 5 may be fastened to a wall surface by wood screws or any other suitable means. A flange or top 34 is provided around the periphery of receptacle 32 and is provided with a plurality of apertures 40 for holding tooth brushes or the like. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the inside surfaces of sides 27 and 28 and the rear side member 29 may be grooved to receive a cover 41. This cover is used to close the receptacle 32 when the device is not in use. The devices illustrated in Figs. l-4 may also be adapted in a similar manner to use a cover.

Fig. 6 illustrates an enlarged partial perspective view of a modification of the roughened surfaces of Figs. 1-5. The surface 36 shown in Fig. 6 is provided with a plurality of parallelly arranged ridges 37 which extend parallel with the wedge shaped edge of the bobby pin spreading device and a plurality of parallelly arranged ridges 38. Ridges 38 are arranged to extend substantially perpendicular to ridges 37 and are spaced apart far enough to receive and accommodate between adjacent ridges 38 one bobby pin. In other words, the ridges 38 are arranged to extend substantially perpendicular to the wedge shaped edge of the hobby pin device and extend above the top of ridges 37 enough to keep the bobby pins separated from one another when a plurality of them are forced over the wedge shaped edge of the device.

The use and operation of the new hobby pin holder and opener is as follows:

The user grasps the bobby pin shown in Fig. 2 at the upper or bight end of the U-shaped device and moves it downwardly over the wedge shaped edge with the corrugated or curved leg end in engagement with the roughened surface. As the bobby pin is moved downwardly over the wedge shaped edge the leg members are spread apart. When the legs are spread apart the desired distance the bobby pin is released from the grip of the user and it locks in place on the wedge shaped edge as heretofore explained.

When it is desired to employ a hobby pin to hold a lock of hair, the bobby pin is manually grasped at the upper end portion thereof between the thumb and forefinger and withdrawn from the wedge shaped edge while held in the leg spread apart position. The legs of the hobby pin are released from the grasp of the user when the pin has been properly inserted in the lock of hair desired to be secured thereby.

It will be noted that a substantial number of bobby pins may be inserted over the Wedge shaped edge of the device at one time and the pins may be held over the wedge shaped edge in a plurality of positions without moving. These pins then may be used as needed.

Although but a few embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device for holding and opening bobby pins comprising a base and a plurality of upwardly disposed sides to form a cavity suitable to receive bobby pins, one of said sides defining an inside surface extending obliquely to the inside surface of said base, said one of said sides being provided with a wedge shaped outer edge for receiving and spreading apart the prongs of bobby pins, and means comprising a plurality of ridges arranged on the inside surface of said one of said sides and extending substantially parallel to said outer edge thereof, said ridges extending in rows from said outer edge toward the inside surface of said base a distance suflicient for said ridges to engage and interlock with the wrinkled surfaces of the bobby pins to hold the hobby pins over said edge.

2. A device for holding and opening bobby pins comprising a base and a plurality of upwardly disposed sides to form a cavity suitable to receive bobby pins, one of said sides defining an inside surface extending obliquely to the inside surface of said base, said one of said sides being provided with a wedge shaped outer edge for receiving and spreading apart the prongs of bobby pins, and means comprising a plurality of ridges and furrows arranged on the inside surface of said one of said sides adjacent to and extending substantially parallel with said outer edge thereof, said ridges extending in rows from said outer edge toward the inside surface of said base a distance suflicient for said ridges to engage and interlock with the wrinkled surfaces of the bobby pins to hold the bobby pins over said wedge shaped edge, and means ar- 15 ranged on the outside of said device for detachably connecting said device to another structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 153,810 Koslap May 17, 1949 D. 160,079 Feyrer Sept. 12, 1950 214,867 Arnold Apr. 29, 1879 476,353 Allred June 7, 1892 1,699,263 Zaden Ian. 15, 1929 2,099,279 Schnider Nov. 16, 1937 2,172,140 Kieft Sept. 5, 1939 2,226,237 Cooper Dec. 24, 1940 2,230,394 Young Feb. 4, 1941 

